Twelve patients with posttraumatic, complete spinal cord injuries consisting of 7 quadriplegics and 5 paraplegics treated at the department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Korea Veterans Hospital were studied clinically and elecrtomyographically to determine the sensory and motor function present below the level of bony injury.

The time since injury ranged from 10 to 55 months(mean 32.0), and the ages of subjects ranged from 22 to 40 years(mean 28.1).

None of the patients had spinal surgery of any kind before or after their spinal cord injury.

Motor function in the ventral rami was preserved only as far as the level of bony injury in quadriplegics.

Pain and light touch extended to similar levels anteriorly in these patients but was found to end at 1 to 2 segments proximal to the bony injury in 3 of the 5 paraplegics.

Electrical activity within the paraspinal musculature was found to be normal as far distal as the bony lesion; or up to 4 vertebrae below this in the quadriplegics and from 1 vertebrae proximal 4 vertebrae distal in the paraplegics.

Electrical activity of less than normal quantity, however, nearly always extended from 1 to 6 vertebrae distal to the bony injury.

Pain and light touch from the posterior rami were preserved in all from 1 to 5 vertebrae below the osseus insult.

A Definitive disparity exists between preservation of anterior and posterior rami level of function.

The level to which reduced electromyographic activity was seen to extend below the lowest injured vertebrae correlated reasonably well with the exact to which pain was appereciated.